Maroc - THECEKODOK.COM - A La Une - 23/Aug 19:37

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Review – Unique Design, Chronic Audio

Earphone designs have now reached a meeting point where almost all of them look like AirPods clones. This is because it is the most comfortable and practical design to use. In a TWS dump that appeared on the market, Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo has been sold in Malaysia since the middle of last month. It is of the type that hangs on the ear and is designed for active people. This is my full review for the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo.SPECIFICATIONSXiaomi OpenWear StereoType Ear hook earphonesDriver 17 x 12 mmMicrophone 4 microphonesAudio Bud Battery – 60 mAh (7.5 hours)Charging pod – 788 mAh (38.5 hours)USB-C charging portWireless charging NoneBluetooth 5.3 connectionAll operating systems are supportedVirtual assistant support YesControl buttons On contactIP54 waterproof capabilitySelling Price RM 599DESIGN AND USEThe OpenWear Stereo are the most unique earphones ever since the Sony MDR-G45LP I used almost 30 years ago. With the development of technology, the MDR-G45LP on-ear headphones are now available in a smaller and compact OpenWear Stereo. There's a hook on each of the OpenWear Stereo earphones that feels strange in the hand at first because they're made of soft silicone. It feels like holding a long stick of gum.Because it is soft, there is no issue of pain behind the ear like other hook-type earphones that use hard plastic hooks. The hook is matched to a small oval-shaped speaker with a round-shaped hole. Each ear hook weighs only 9.6 grams which is about twice the weight of the average audio bud of a typical earphone. Despite being heavier, OpenWear Stereo is comfortable to wear as it does not cause discomfort even when worn for long periods of time.I just have to admit that wearing them for the first time will feel a little strange because the hook goes all the way around the back of the ear and the part that contains the speaker floats in front of the ear hole. The hook system used is firmly attached to the ear and even if the head is shaken hard it will not be easily detached.The issue I have with this design is that the part of the hook made of silicone is quite thick. For people who wear glasses like me, it will make the glasses rise slightly from their normal position. Therefore if you swear by glasses with thick stems (especially plastic frames), the process of installing OpenWear Stereo will be a little challenging.On the side of each earphone there is a plastic panel that has a metallic finish. This panel also houses a touch pad to control the audio being heard. The pad supports one, two and three tap controls which can be changed through the app. Throughout the review period I found the pad to detect touch very well.But if you don't want to use it, this touch control system can also be turned off via the app. The entire ear hook passes the IP54 standard making it sweatproof but not submersible.The two ear hooks are housed in a relatively large oval-shaped charging pod. When put in a trouser pocket, the size can be felt quite significantly. The surface of the charging-cum-storage pod has a rough texture. This makes it not easy to slip out of the hand when trying to pull it out of the pants pocket.On the back there is a USB-C charging port while on the inside there is a button for the bluerooth tethering process. When pressed for a few seconds, the LED light on the front will flash in white. This charging pod does not support wireless charging. Talking about the battery, it can provide power for up to 7.5 hours or up to 38.5 hours with the help of a charging pod.Overall, the design of OpenWear Stereo is unique and interesting, it takes some getting used to, especially if you wear glasses like me. The first few days of using it I had to press the speaker part into the ear until it felt comfortable.As a human I'm used to the feeling of the phone being inserted into the ear cavity instead of semi-floating like the OpenWear Stereo. In addition, the dangling hook handle also feels strange because it needs to be in the same space as the eyeglass handle. Just by opening the glasses, OpenWear Stereo is more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.AUDIO QUALITYThe audio quality I can say is normal because OpenWear Stereo has a gap between the speaker and the ear hole. I liken it like you put on an AirPods then put it one centimeter from the ear hole. The audio thrown does not really hit the ear cavity. One of the most noticeable shortcomings is the lack of robust bass. In fact I can say the bass is like non-existent. The bass in the song sounds like a Milo tin drum. Very disappointing because 90% of the music I listen to focuses on bass.All the music I tried to listen to sounded flat. This is disappointing because I have used several Xiaomi TWS as well as Redmi and the audio produced feels more powerful.The volume level is satisfactory due to the relatively large size of the speaker grille. Listening to the podcast I can also put it as not disappointing. But again I have to say that due to the flat sounding audio profile, there is no boom and it feels "distant" it is difficult for me to enjoy music using OpenWear Stereo.This is not helped by the open design causing all the surrounding audio to often interfere with the video watching experience. Fahim sat next to me in the office and he spoke loudly. While I was watching Netflix, his voice could be heard so clearly that the dialogue in the movie I was watching was no longer so clear.I have to put the audio to the loudest level to reduce the sound of Fahim's laughter from continuously hitting my ear canal. But this caused what I was listening to disturb the other people sitting next to me. Xiaomi says the OpenWear design will reduce the problem of audio "leaking" to others but the reality is that at this setting it becomes ineffective.There is an ANC mode included once but honestly I can tell you I can't hear a noticeable difference if it is on or not. There are open TWS that can still block ambient noise from breaking in like the Galaxy Buds Live that I reviewed a few years ago.This can be done because the position of the speaker is closer to the ear hole. On the OpenWear Stereo as I mentioned above, the relatively far space makes the ANC system not operate satisfactorily. So after two days I just turned off the ANC because it would just use more battery power.MICROPHONEWhen making a phone call, the recipient says my voice is clear. Although the surroundings are a bit noisy, my voice can still be caught well.SOFTWAREThe given Xiaomi Earbuds application is easy to use but the features offered are limited. There is a battery display for both the earphones and the charging pod. Then there is the option to customize the touchpad settings. I just want to suggest to Xiaomi to provide a settings button to turn off the touchpad. This is a feature provided by Sony and Samsung in their apps.I wanted this setting because in the process of inserting the OpenWear into the ear, I NEEDED to touch the touch pad several times to get it into a more comfortable position. It is very unpleasant every time I try to change the position of OpenWear the music stops or the virtual assistant launches by accident.From within the application there are also software update settings, a mode to search for OpenWear if it is missing, a beta mode that activates a more comfortable ANC and audio effects (exaggerate treble, volume and balance). The given setting options are very limited. Equalizer that allows me to save personal audio profiles is also absent.BATTERYThe battery is advertised to last up to 7.5 hours and I feel this can be achieved if the music is set to 70-80% when in use. I managed to use it all day at the office. Then I just have to recharge the charging pod every 4 days. Recharging takes over an hour just wired. No wireless charging support is included.IN THE BOXHere's what you get with every purchase in Malaysia.1x Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.1x ManualCONCLUSIONXiaomi OpenWear Stereo open design earphones are products for people who want to listen to music while doing outdoor activities without being aware of their surroundings. This is important if you run on the road for example. In this regard, I feel that OpenWear is a really successful TWS.As a pair of earphones for listening to music only I feel they fall below the basic quality bar. The audio thrown out is so flat and empty that the bass is barely audible. Audio from outside will hit the ears all the time even at the loudest audio settings. The ANC provided is like bass, you can't feel it working at all.